Gay Marriage vs. Freedom of Speech

I have done a lot of thinking about the gay marriage thing and the LGBT issues being so prominently discussed on just about every news broadcast and news channel every single night and day. It’s the consistent droning of news anchors to activists that tell America “You must accept us, our life style, or face dire consequences.

Some of those consequences have materialized in our courts. An Oregon Court has recently ruled against Christian bakers that by denying service to a lesbian couple, they violate the Oregonian equal rights law that provisions against discrimination based on gender orientation. And it was a huge fine that was assessed: $135,000 that could potentially bankrupt the owners and even take their house.

Shortly after, a GoFundMe account was setup for the Christian bakers and within hours it had raised over $100,000 for the couple. No word as to why it was pulled other than it violate a “community standard” for the service. Still, $109,000 raised WILL be distributed to the Christian family to help meet the legal judgement which is being appealed (it’s not final).

And as you may know Bruce Jenner has come out of his clothes closet to proclaim to the world he is a woman. I harbor no animosity towards Jenner or the GBLT community at all. I do have a difference of opinion, and mine is rooted in the teachings of the Bible.

What that means is that while I don’t approve the GBLT life style, I won’t judge it. I’ll leave that to God. I will pray for those who choose that life including Mr/Ms. Jenner. And I’ll pray for them in a non-judgmental way (i.e. grant them good health etc.)

But just having a difference of opinion is enough today to rise the ire of the GBLT community and to the point of them calling for boycotts or phoning in anonymous death threats to those holding opposing views. They want the majority to be tolerant of their views and life choices, but they are far from tolerant themselves.

Case in point, the Indiana Pizza establishment who told a reporter that they would likely decline a request to cater a gay wedding (but who has a pizza caterer at a wedding anyway?) It was a stupid question by a novice reporter. The pizzeria owner’s daughter stated they would NOT deny service to anyone, but when asked about catering a gay wedding, she said they would decline the offer.

Approximately 1.2 to 5% of Americans identify as GBLT depending on who is conducting the survey. So statistically, the GBLT community is insignificant in terms of numbers compared to the whole, yet they command, no demand that the majority bend to their will by granting them a special status.

There have been a few reporters who tried to get a Muslim bakery to make a wedding cake for a gay marriage and everyone of them declined. But there was no outrage. When contacted, every gay bakery refused to make a wedding cake for a straight wedding with a wedding message “Heterosexual Marriage Rocks” or something similar. Everyone of the gay bakeries said “NO” they would not make a wedding cake for a straight marriage with such a hateful message as that on it. Where’s the outrage?

This week the US Supreme Court heard arguments to legitimize gay marriages in all 50 states. Same sex marriage today is legal in approximately 39 states, eleven of which have passed laws legalizing same sex marriage. The others have been forced to recognize it through the courts.

If gays are allowed to marry by judicial fiat, then the question becomes will the churches, Priests, Deacons, and Ministers be forced to marry same sex couples even though the practice goes against their deeply held moral beliefs and the teachings of the church?

The GBLT community assures us this will NOT be the case, but they said that about business owners who had deeply religious beliefs when they pushed for same sex marriage laws.

Being both a Minister and a business owner, I am deeply concerned with what our country is coming to in terms of forced or coerced acceptance of beliefs and ideals that are not widely held and in fact are rejected by most all religions.

A major cornerstone in our Republic is one of freedom of association. We should be free to associate with and in fact do business with anyone we so desire. I can understand not discriminating based on sex, age, or race. But on sexual orientation?

Here’s the solution the problem. You are gay and you want me a Christian Minister who runs a bakery to bake you and your “significant other” a cake? Fine! You got it. You say you also want a message on the cake of “John loves Bob”? Sorry… I have crappy handwriting. It would be better (for both of us) if you did that yourself.

Problem solved.

Yet that apparently is not good enough for some who would shut down a business because of their beliefs (i.e. The Chic Filet boycott, the Indiana based pizzeria). The gay community even turned on their own when gay hotel owners booked an even for Senator Cruz who is openly opposed to same sex marriage.

So the real debate should not be about cakes, and hotel conference room bookings, but on whether we still have the right to free speech and thought in this country. While campuses rush to establish free speech zones, little vesitges of what is left of our 1st Amendment, others of us are pushing back and saying “HELL NO! You do NOT have a right to NOT be offended. So BACK OFF“

And if that seems rude and offensive to you… good. I could have said it slightly differently to offend you even more. Welcome to America.